


Hypnotism

by orphan_account



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-21
Updated: 2005-06-21
Packaged: 2017-10-10 22:26:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	Hypnotism

There was, Kikumaru Eiji had decided long ago, an hypnotic quality to Inui's glasses.

Years after, Kaidou still remembered that day; it was the summer of his second year of Junior school, and they'd been back from visiting Tezuka-buchou in Germany for a week when Tachibana had asked for some friendly matches.

And as Kamio Akira, defeated seven games to five by Momoshiro, had been the first victim to the Inui All-Japan Omega Juice, Kikumaru had come to the conclusion that Inui's glinting glasses were the deciding factor in everyone drinking his juices whenever he said so, despite their potential lethal qualities, and the lack of an actual _order_ to drink it coming from undiscussed authority. At the time, Kaidou had rolled his eyes and hissed, but the rest of the team, watching the rhythm player writhe in agony on the ground with renewed determination not to lose, had agreed with the acrobatic player, and it had become a running gag, helped by the fact that no one -save, said the legend, for Tezuka, but none of them had ever dared to ask - had ever seen Inui without his glasses.

Inui-senpai didn't know about the 'joke' - or maybe he did; even after all this time playing doubles -always doubles now, alternating with the Golden Pair between Doubles 1 and 2, because they'd both taken a liking to it and they'd grown good at it, together - he still couldn't read his senpai's quirks.

And then, after three National champion titles - one in Junior School, two in High school- it was time for the team to dissolve into fond memories, time for the running gag to stop, and it saddened him, somehow, because in time he'd grown attached to his senpai-tachi. To mark the occasion, Inui had taken great delight in offering them -or, rather, forcing them into drinking, and Kikumaru had made a not-so cryptic comment on the glasses- what he'd humorously called the Super Lucky Farewell Inui Juice of Doom, and they'd all looked warily at it before Fuji had taken a sip had the glass he'd been offered, and commented that it tasted like a vodka-orange juice mix to _him_; that had been Inui's last prank as the unofficial team manager, but the joke was still on because a few hours later, Momoshiro was sobbing in the arms of a equally inebriated Kikumaru about being left alone with Mamushi and the Brat, while Kawamura - he was still there, still present, even though he hadn't played tennis for years - and Ooishi were trying to run damage control, Fuji was quietly discussing something with a Tezuka who, for old times' sake maybe, was pretending not to see what was going on around him, and Echizen was muttering Mada Mada Danes in his intoxicated sleep.

Inui-senpai had disappeared some time ago, and Kaidou felt the urge to go look for him - they'd been partners for years, and Inui was the one he would miss most, after all.

He exited the sushi bar a little tipsily - he hadn't drunk so much that he didn't know what he was doing, and he could have walked in a straight line, if he'd decided to do so - and took a few steps outside, before a familiar voice interrupted him.

"I was starting to despair, here." he would have known this voice anywhere, and was used to hearing it behind his back, but it seemed deeper somehow, raucous, and he suddenly wondered how much his senpai had had to drink.

"I never said I'd come out, senpai." he answered genuinely, but he could already predict what would come next.

"Probabilities, Kaidou. Considering the environment in there, there was a 94% chance that you'd get out sooner or later." Yes, Inui-senpai, after all this time, was still the same, and Kaidou could feel the heavy gaze on his nape that had been so hard to get used to; but right now there was none of the uneasiness that he still felt each time.

"It's no use collecting data anymore, senpai. You said you were going to quit tennis." He had; and, maybe, there was an underlying and betrayed '_Why?_' in the comment.

"Ah, yes. See, I lost my drive to play Singles when I understood that Tezuka was out of my reach, and Doubles would be insipid without a partner."

And Kaidou had concentrated so much on the tone of the voice - there was regret there, he thought, but he wasn't the best at this kind of things- that he didn't notice Inui getting closer until he was trapped from behind, strong arms encircling him and back pressed against a hard chest."Will you even miss me, Kaidou? As much as I'll miss you?"

And, well, that was an issue that they'd both carefully avoided for the past years, but Kaidou knew - had known for months, maybe years- that the answer to that was a definite 'yes', and maybe it was now time to face it. He turned around in Inui's arms, and without even thinking about it, reached up to remove the ever-present glasses, and there was no protestation from his senpai. And as he leaned in to accept - give? the limit was unclear- a kiss that was long overdue, he couldn't help but hiss in satisfaction that he'd been right, all those years ago.

It had never been the glasses.


End file.
